Adjustable load engager for vehicle lifts



Sept. 30, 1952 E. B. THOMPSON ADJUSTABLE LOAD ENGAGER FOR VEHICLE LIFTS 2 SHEET$-SHEET 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1949 zivmvrox.

Ehri er B. Thompson Y aria Se t. 30, 1952 E. B. THOMPSON 2,612,344

ADJUSTABLE LOAD ENGAGER FOR VEHICLE LIFTS Filed D80. 7, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 22 24 2 7 I In 33 28 H- 28 Elmer 8- Thompson BY Patented Sept. 30, 1952 TADJUSTABLE LOAD. ENGAGERFORIVEHICLE LIFTS Elmer-B. Thompson, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor .to Globe Hoist Company, DesfMoines; Iowa, 'a

corporation of Iowa ApplicationDecember 7, 1949, Serial No. 1315598 Claims. 01. zen-s9) .fI'his invention relates generally 'to vehicle a hoistsan'd'in particularlto a vehicle hoist. having transversely spaced lift..me mbers provided with longitudinally extended vehicle frame supportin membersfor supporting .a vehicle between the v front "and rear wheels thereof.

.Automobile main frames are generally .of a rectangular shape, having .side ,frame members .upwardly curved .at theirrea'r ends to accommodate "the reanaxle. and front end portions converged in a forward direction to accommodate the front steering wheels. However, in different I model automobiles, and in different years for the same model automobilathere is an appreciable variation in the width'of the mainframe and the of the .frameside members. Asa result, considerable diiiicultyl has been encountered in adaptinga vehicle hoist offrame. supporting type to generally. accommodate all makes and years of automobiles. This difficulty is further increased by the fact that many automobilesand trucks have under parts, such as generators, compressors, exhaust pipes and the like, that are .closely adjacentto the'frame side members and whichmust be cleared by the frame engaging members of the hoist in a vehicle liftingoperation., v I

Itis anobject offthis.v invention, therefore, to provide an improved vehicle hoist'or lift.

A furtherobje'ct of this invention is to provide ahoist of vehicle frame supporting type in which vehicle ,frame engaging members are provided with fra e contact members adjustably movable both transversely and longitudinally of "the hoist toselected'frame contacting positions.

Still'another object of this invention'is to proviclefahdist of vehicle frame supporting type having'frame supporting members positioned between the front. and rear wheels of a vehicle, which the opposite ends of the supporting members are equipped with like vehicle frame engaging members of a construction, and adjustably supported on the frame supporting membersto engagethe side members of frames .df substantially-all*model'vehicles. I feature of this invention is foundf in'the provision of a hoist of avehicleframef'suDporting type inwhich a pair of transverselyspaced liftji'nemb ers are prov'ided with longitudinally extended flat horizontal frame supporting memlbers.positionedbetween the, front; and, rear Wheels of a vehicle. Vehicle -.fr ame.engaging .members of a right-angle shape have elongated zkeepers angle of convergence of the front end portions interchangeable. slidablemeception within transverse grooves at .theends of theifram'e support.- .ing members. With-.a guidereceivedfin;a g1 oove, therefore, one .leg of .a frame engaging member rests on the top side/of a frame supporting. memher while its other'leg projects upwardly .to...con-

.tact. the vehicle frame. 'Theguidesof eachfraine engagingmember are sp'aced unequal distances from the junctionnof the legs therefor so that by interchanging such guides in .a groove .the

upright leg is movable to longitudinally spaced positions on the flat supporting members whereby the vehicleframe contactingleg is movable longitudinally and transversely of the.'flat supporting members to vehicle frame contacting positions. Co-acting portions on theguides and vonthe side Walls-of thegrooves hold the frame following description when taken inconnection I i with the accompanying drawings, in which;

","Fig l is a perspective viewof ahoist embodying the frame engaging. members .of "this invention and showinga vehicle in an elevatedjpo'sition' therein;

I Fig. ,2. is .a'perspective view of the hoist in Fig.

shown ina lowered position and with theifrarne engaging members removed;

Y Fig. 3 is'an'enlargedperspective view of a frame "engaging member;

Figs. .4, 5,36 and rare "fragmentary. elevational views "showingthe frame engaging members in relatively ,changed positions therefor .on the hoist; and

' Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view. showing-the assembly, .of a frame engaging :member with frame supporting member.

; Withreference .to the drawings there is'illus'f trated inFig. 1 a pit-mounted vehiclehoist of vehicle frame engaging type which includes ,a pair ,of transverselyspaced lift pistons or members 10 having secured to theirupper ends .1011]- gitu'clinally extended horizontal .vehicle "frame supporting members ll of a flat'plate construc- .tion and of alength' to be positioned between the front wheels I 2 and rear wheels l3 :of a vehicle indicated at [4. 'The lift members III! are ,raised and loweredin a well-known manner by a hydraulic control system (not shown) .and

are .synchronizedfor up and down movement together by mean's lincluding rack ,members .15 extended longitudinally of the .lift members 10 or;guides ionethe.outside: of each ,1eg.the ;eof ;for and-suitably secured to the plate; members l lsfor chassis 2|]. '."'-By reversing the frame engaging member 22 3 up and down movement with the lift members ID. A gear and shaft assembly (not shown), located within the floor pit I1, is operatively associated with the rack members I6.

When the hoist is in a lowered position, as shown in Fig.2, the vehicleframe supporting or plate members rest directly on the floor surface l8 so as to substantially eliminate any obstruction to a normal use of the floor space occupied by the hoist. In the elevating of a vehicle, the. vehicle I4 is driven over the plate members H such that either its front wheels l2 or rear wheels- |3 are received within wheel depressions IS on the floor surface |8 whereby to locate the plate members I! between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle.

To provide for an engagement of the side frame members 2| of the vehicle frame or chassis 20 by the hoist, without interfering with any of the under parts of the vehicle I4, the plate members Lare provided at each end thereof with frame engaging members 22.. ,Sincelthe frame engaging'lmembers 22 are of a like construction and similarly. assembled with the plate members ll, only one thereof willbe referred to in detail in the following description.

A frame engaging member 22 (Fig. 3) is of e an angle construction ,and of a substantially L-shape in transverse cross-section so as to have a long le 23 and a short leg 24. Suitably secured, as by welding or like means, to the outer sides 26 and 21 of the legs .23 and 24, respectively, are longitudinally extended guide ribs or In a like manner, and as shown in Fig. 6., when the guide 28a is inserted within .a groove 3|, the

short leg 24 rests in a supportedposition on the top side 32 of the plate H and the long leg 23 g is projected upwardly from the plate so as to keepers 28 and 28a, also respectively, of a subopposite ends of the plate members N (Fig, 2).

The grooves 3| are 'of. a size and shape correv sponding to the guides 28'and 28a so as to slidably receive such guides therein.

As shown in Fig. 4 for one application of the frame engaging member 22, the guide 28 .is inserted within a groove 3| so that the long leg 23 rests directly on the topsurface '32 of the plate member II, and the short leg 24 extends upwardly from the plate member II at a position spaced inwardly from its end 33 sothat the free end 34. of the short leg 24 is in a position to contact a side member 2| of the vehicle from its position sh'own'inFig. 4 to ,its'position By merely reversing the tions" spaced longitudinally ofthe plate memberfll.

(As shown in Fig.8, the slidable engagement of the guide 28 within the groove 3|.lprovides for adjustable movem nt of the frame engagingQmemher 22 transversely of' the plate to positions such that the opposite ends 36 and 31 of the member 22 are capable of being moved'to positions spaced laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the plate As a result, it is seen that the frame contacting leg 24 is capable of adconstitute a frame contacting portion. The long leg 23 is shown in Fig. 6 as being spaced inwardly from the end 33 of the plate member II.

By merely reversing the frame engaging member 22, from itsposition in Fig. 6 to its position in Fig. 7, the long leg 23 is adjacent to the end 33 of the plate member I -In one embodiment of the invention, the plate member H has a width of about ten inches and the frame engaging members 22 are of a length of about ten inches. In this embodiment, the short leg 24 isabout four inches long and the long leg 23 is about six inches long. As aresult, the frame'engaging members 22 are capable of transverse adjustment to positions with their ends 36 and 31 located at least five inches out wardly from opposite sides of the plate while assuring complete stability of the frameengaging members for lifting purposes.

Further, by the arrangement of the guides and 28a at unequal distances from the junction 29 of the legs 23 and 24, and adjacent to the free ends of their respective legs 23 and 24, the longitudinal spacing of the frame contacting le as appears from a consideration of Figs. 'f1'7, inclusive, is appreciably increased. By 'virtue of the dovetail shape of the guides 28 and-28a, and the grooves 3|, the frame engaging members 22 are positively held within the grooves 3| against tipping movement laterally of the plate members II for any adjusted position ofthe members 22.. In other words, the co-acting engagement between the side portions 40 of, the guides 28 and 28a with the side walls 4| of the grooves 3| prevents any movement of the guides out" of the grooves while providing for a free adjustment of the members 22 transversely of the plates Also, the unequal length of the 'legsv23 and 24 provides for a desiredclearance relation with low clearance frames or any of the vehicle parts underhung from the frame. i f

From a consideration of the above description it is seen that the invention providesframe en-'- gaging members 22 of a simple construction and readily applicable to contact automobile frames of varying sizes and shapes in a clearance relation with the underparts of the automobile; By interbe understood that it is not to be soli'mited'since.

- changsand modifications can be made therein which are withinthe full intended scope of this invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. For use with a vehicle hoist'wher'einalift member carries a flat horizontal longitudinally extended plate member at its upper end for supporting the frame of a vehicle to be elevated, a vehicle frame engaging member of a substantially L-shape in transverse cross section, transversely extended guide portions at opposite ends of said plate member, an elongated guide portion on the outer side of each leg of said frame engaging member extended longitudinally of the frame engaging member and guidably engageable with a transverse guide portion on said plate member such that said frame engaging member is adjustably movable transversely of said plate member, and co-aoting portions on said guide portions for holding said frame engaging member against tipping movement laterally of said plate member at any moved position of said frame engaging member.

2. For use with a vehicle hoist wherein a lift member carries a flat horizontal longitudinally extended plate member at its upper end for supporting the frame of a vehicle to be elevated, a vehicle frame engaging member adjustably movable transversely of said plate member and of a right angle shape in transverse cross section, 1

transverse guide ways at the opposite ends of said plate member, a longitudinally extended guide on the outer side of each leg of said frame engaging member spaced unequal distances from the junction of the legs, with the guide on said frame engaging member being interchangeably received within a guide way on said plate member so that the frame engaging member has one leg thereof in a horizontal plane and the other leg thereof extended upwardly to contact the vehicle frame, and means for holding said one leg in a horizontal plane at any moved position of said frame engaging member transversely of said plate member.

3. For use with a vehicle hoist wherein a lift member carries a flat horizontal longitudinally extended plate member at its upper end for supporting the frame of a vehicle to be elevated, a vehicle frame engaging member of a substantially L-shape in transverse cross section,,a longitudinally extended guide on the outer side of each leg of said frame engaging member of a substantially dove tail shape in transverse cross section, with said plate member having transverse grooves at the opposite ends thereof of a shape and size corresponding to said guides so as to slidably receive said guides therein, said guides being spaced unequal distances from the junction of the legs of said frame engaging member and being interchangeably received within a groove so that one leg of the frame engaging member rests on the top surface of the plate member and the other leg thereof projects upwardly from said plate member to engage a vehicle frame, with the side portions of said guides and grooves co-acting to lock said frame engaging member against tipping movement laterally of said plate member.

4. For use with a vehicle hoist wherein a lift member carries a fiat horizontal longitudinally extended plate member at its upper end for supportin the frame of a vehicle to be elevated, a vehicle frame engaging member of a substantially L-shape in transverse cross section adjustably movable transversely of said plate member, a longitudinally extended guide member on the outer side of each leg of said frame engaging member, with said plate member having transverse grooves at the opposite ends thereof for slidably receiving a guide member on said frame engaging member, said frame engaging member being of a length substantially equal to the width of said plate member and the guide members on said frame engaging member being spaced unequal distances from the junction of the legs thereof, with a guide member being interchangeably positioned within a groove so that one leg of said frame engaging member rests on said plate member and the other leg thereof projects upwardly from the plate member to contact the vehicle frame, and co-acting portions on the side walls of said grooves and on said guides to hold said frame engaging member against lateral tipping movement relative to said plate member.

5. For use with a vehicle hoist wherein a lift member carries a flat horizontal longitudinally extended plate member at its upper end for supporting the frame of a vehicle to be elevated, a frame engaging member adjustably carried on said plate member for linear movement transversely thereof including a frame contact portion movable to opposite sides of the transverse path of movement'of said frame engaging member and to positions outwardly from opposite sides of said plate member, and co-acting portions on said frame engaging member and on said plate member for holding said frame engaging member against lateral tipping movement relative to said plate member at any moved position of said frame engaging member.

ELMER B. THOMPSON.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,478,307 Sykes et al. Dec. 28, 1923 1,975,729 Muhollen Feb. 20, 1934 2,423,954 Thompson July 15, 1947 

